Minister spends R116 528 on office kitchenware

Citizen reporter

Minister of Social Development Susan Shabangu has spent R116 528 on crockery and cutlery for her office since she took over the department from Bathabile Dlamini.

In a written reply to Inkatha Freedom Party MP Liezl van der Merwe, which has been posted online by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), Shabangu confirmed the purchase of crockery and cutlery for her office.

Last year, the Daily Maverick reported that Shabangu kept a private office of at least 15 people, even though the regulations prescribe no more than 10.

The bloated office cost the department more than R10 million.

Ministers’ spending has been in the spotlight in the recent weeks after parliament’s standing committee on public accounts revealed that the department of public works had spent half a million rand on braai entertainment areas in ministerial houses.

Outa’s Dominique Msibi said that despite the purchases alleg- edly being above board, this did not make it acceptable.

“It is particularly disturbing that the minister in the department that is supposed to be concerned with the poorest of the poor thinks it is above board to splurge on such nonessential items,” Msibi said yesterday.

“It speaks ill of the conscience of the person.”